Power lifting-machine.



a. N. LOWRY POWER LH 'TlNG MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED APR-27,1916.

Patented Sept 4%, .391?

WITNESSES REGINALD. N. LOWRY, OI MOUNT LEBANON, PENNSYLVANIA.

POWER LIIETING-MACI-IINE. V

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 27, 1916. Serial No. 93,924.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it'known that I, REGINALD N. LOWRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Lebanon, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Power Lifting-Machine,

of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a small, portable and efficient power lifting machine to be used in'connection with hand labor for the purpose of performing the heaviest part of the work by lifting or pulling the load.'

My invention consists of the novel and eflicient arangement of a walking beam operated by a motor through a speed reducing gear, in such a manner that any hand tools or load carriers which may be attached to the outer end of the walking beam will be alternately lifted and lowered by the power from the motor, as illustrated on the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of my power lifting machine.

Fig. 2 is a side Fig. l.

For the purpose of simplifying the drawing and making it more clearly understood, I have eliminated many of the construction details. The various positions of the walking beam are shown by dotted lines.

The motor 1 drives the bevel gear pinion 2 which is in mesh withbevel gear wheel 3. Gear wheel 3 is keyed to its supporting shaft 4., on which is also keyed gear pinion 5 in mesh with gear wheel 6. Gear wheel 6 is keyed to the crank shaft 7 on which is also keyed the crank 8. Crank 8 is provided with a removable wrist pin 9 and with additional wrist pin attachment holes 10 and 11, which allow attaching the wrist pin to the crank at various distances from its con ter of rotation, thereby making it possible to alter the radius of travel of the wrist pin 9, for the purpose of adjusting the movement or distance traveled by the working end of the walking beam. The walking beam 12 is connected to the wrist pin 9 with a universal connection, composed of the wrist pin bearing 13 with its trunnions 14 secured to the walking beam by yoke 15, in such a manner that the walking beam will be free to pivot on the axis of the wrist pin 9, and also on the axis of the trunnions 14:, which latter axis is at right angles to the axis of the wrist pin 9, thereby formelevation projected from ing what is commonly known as a univen sal connection. The walkmg beam 12 rests on theroller 16 which forms the walkmg beam fulcrum. It is apparent that the position of the walking beam with relation to the wrist pin 9 and the fulcrum 16 maybe reversed, that is to say the driven end of the walking beam with its wrist pin bearing 13 mav be mounted on the pin of the roller 16 and the roller 16 may be mounted on the wrist pin 9, so that the walking beam will be fulcrumed on the frame of the machine and will float on the wrist pin 9, the result with either method of mounting would be practically the same.

It will be noted that the walldng beam is free to be lifted upward from the fulcrum, this condition constituting what I will term floating and a walking beam arranged in such a manner I will term a floating walking beam.

The primary object of this free condition is to make it impossible for the motor to force the outer portion of the walking beam down on a workman or object in the path of the walking beam. The secondary object is to allow a backward and forward movement of the walking beam so that it can follow the crank. The walking beam is also free to move sideways, as shown with dotted lines on the drawing, the object of this sidewaymovement is to allow a greater horizontal range of operation than could be had with the walking beam operating in a single vertical plane.

Additiontl attachament holes 17 and 18 have been provided for the fulcrum roller to allow adjusting its height for the purpose of changing the range of operating of the walking beam. 1 have shown a hand shovel operatively connected to the working end of the walking beam with a short length of rope, although many other types of tools such as tampers, lifting tongs, baskets and the like could be used with equal advantage.

The operation of my machine used in connectionwith hand-shoveling is as follows:

After starting the motor and adjusting it to the proper speed which can be done by means of operating levers located near the workman who is handling the shovel, the rotation of the gears and the crank connected thereto will swing the driven end of the walking beam around the axis of shaft 7, forcing the walking beam to slide and rock on the fulcrum roller 16, the outer end alter- Patented Sept. a, ieit.

nately rising and lowerin pushes the shovel into the material to be lifted when the end of the walking beam is in its lowered position, the following upward movement of the end of the walking beam lifting the shovel and its load which is only guided and controlled by the work man until the shovel has. been lifted to the required height, where it is emptied by a slight effort on the part of the workman. During the lifting operation the shovel can be swung from one side to the other as-may be required. The continued working of the motor lowers the shovel to the filling height and the operation is repeated.

' When it is required to lift the load to the maximum height, the wrist pin 9 is attached to the outer end of the crank 8 at the maximum distance from the center of rotation of the crank, thereby producing the maximum lift and drop at the working end of the walking beam. ll hen the load is only lifted short distances as in the case of shoveling into wheelbarrows, the wrist pin 9 is attached inthe holes 10 or 11 in the crank 8, thereby reducing or shortening the lift. Further adjustment for working above or below the level of the machine can be made by changing the height of the fulcrum roller 16 by means of the additional adjustment holes 17 and 18.

It is apparent that when my machine is used in such a manner, the work performed by the laborer can be greatly increased because a larger shovel with correspondingly increased capacity can be used and the speed of the operations increased, as the strength of the laborer otherwise consumed in lifting the shovel can be used for pushing the shovel more frequently and with greater effort into the load.

The work of the laborer can also be greatly increased with other types of hand tools or load containers as in all such cases heavier loads can be handled at increased speed, because the strength and endurance of the laborer otherwise consumed in the lifting operation can be used for guiding and controlling.

lVhen it is required to pull horizontally,

V. is fastened to thewalking-beam and passed through the pulley-block 21 in such a man- (lopies ot this patent may be obtained for The workmanner that the upward movement of the walking beam will pull the horizontal portion of the rope and the toolattached to it toward the. machine and the downward. movement of the walking beam will allow the workman to pull back the scraper or other tool into position to be again pulled forward with the materials to be moved.

On the drawing I have shown a gasolene motor to operate the machine, although. any other .kind of motor, electric, steam, air, etc., may be used with equal advantage, depending upon the local conditions which would determine the mostv economical and suitable type of motor to be used.

I am aware that prior :to my invention, power lifting machineshave-been made but they are of essentially different species not designed or adapted to fulfil the object of my invention. I claim my invention is a new and useful'combination of essential'features particularly adapted to the purposes set forth, as-follows:

I claim? c v 1; In a machineof the class described a fulcrum, a walking beam supported thereon andfree to belifted therefrom, and means including a motor for rocking the-walking beam.

2. In. a machine of the class described, a walking beam free to move laterally on its fulcrum, operated by motor substantially as set fortl.

3. In a machine of the class described, a motor operating a walking beam through a gear and crank transmission, thewalking beam being operatively connected to the machine with a universal connection and floating on the operating crank.

a. In a machine of the class described, a' motor operating a walking beam through a gear and crank transl'nission, the walking beam being operatively connected to the crank with a universal connection.

5. I11 a machine of the class described a fulcrum, awalking beam supported thereon, and free to be lifted therefrom, a hand tool operatively attached to the walking beam and means including a motor for rocking the walking beam. i

- REGINALD N. LOVVRY.

lVitnesses:

IVILLIAM H. Law, ADoLrH PRAGER.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents? Washington, D. G. a 

